Born in Seoul, Korea, Don Yang came to the United States in his late teens. After 7 years of service in the U.S. Army, he pursued his childhood dream of living as an artist by training at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he earned a BFA with honors and later an MFA with emphasis on fine art and traditional illustration.

After graduating from the Academy, Don has been teaching drawing, oil painting, and anatomy in and around Chicago for the past 20 years, while operating an independent art studio working as a freelance illustrator.

Since 2002, Don has been teaching oil painting, figure drawing, and artistic anatomy at the American Academy of Art, where he is also serving as chairperson of Fine Art Department and Foundations Department.

He also teaches a weekly portrait drawing class in his studio at the historic Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago.

Painting outdoors in the Chicago area as well as in his studio, he frequently exhibits his work. His paintings and drawings are collected by art enthusiasts throughout the United States and Europe.

Don Yang – Grant Park Fountain